Driving connection for motor-driven fans or the like



Nov. 15, 1927.

H. G. REIBEL DRIVING CONNECTION FOR MOTOR DRIVEN FANS OR THE LIKE Fild' Jan. 6. 1925 s ll will 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwo'nfoz I .Nov. 15, 1927. 1,648,996

H. G. REIBEL DRIVING CONNECTION FOR MOTOR DRIVEN FANS OR THE LIKE Fil'ed Jan.6. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1927 UTED STATES a I 1 4 995 T OFFICE;

[ERMAN(it;132211131 313, or weaning; OHIO, Assienon TO THE rEERLn'ss nnnornrc 001v:- ranger WARREN, omo, A coaronirrioiv or OHIO. i c

i DRIVING oormnorrou roe Moron-braver rims on THE LIKE.

' "Application filed January'6,-1925. Serial No, 930.

The invention relates to automaticallyyre-r leasable driving connections and particularly to such as are used in connection with the oscillating mechanisms of electric fans;

Briefly stated, an important aim of the invention is to provide a drive gearing struc ture as characterized, which may be rendered temporarily inoperative at will, novel means being employed for doing this and 19 holding the parts'against looseness in a desired out of engagement relationship; and

which is also provided with *avnovel torque load responsive means' for breaking the i a part of this applicationand in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

' I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a'fan.

. equipped with the improved Oscillating 3 mechanism; a r v, a

Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on line 25-2 ofFig; 1; v

Fig. 3 is a group perspective illustrating a shaft and means for manually adjusting the shaft vertically;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the oscillating mechanism in its inoperative position; i; .1

Fig; 5 is a vertical sectional view, through the oscillating mechanism inits operative or fan oscillatingposition; i i i Fig. 6 is an edgeelevation of a slightly modified form of worm wheel. i g

In the drawings the numeral 5 designates a base having means. whereby tliesame nay be secured to a Vertical or horizontal sup port and as illustrated in Fig. 1 a motor 6 is hingedly connected to the baseas indi cated at 7. The hinge member 7 ISPI'O- vided with a wing nut 8 to hold the motor- 6 in an adjusted position with respect to the axis of the hinge member a i The motor 6 is provided withthe, usual armature shaft 10. gnfthe forward end of' which the fan oblades ll are mountedg {the shoulder guard 12 of any style is carried by the housing of the electric motor and encloses the blades 11. i

Fig. 1 illustrates that the oscillating meoh anism is arranged at the rear side of the fan and is provided witha hood or shell 16 into which the rear end of the armature shaft 10 extends. Particular attention is directed to Fig. 2whi'ch illustrates that a driving member in the nature of a worm 18 is'secured on theextended rear end of the armature shaft 10 and is constantly in mesh with I a "worm wheel 19. 1 i v 'Theworniwheel "19 is mounted forfree rotary movement on a vertically movable shaft 20 and is held in proper position with a respect to the worm 18 by a bearing 22.

4 and 5"pla-inlyillustrate this arrangement. I

The opposite sides of the worm wheel19 'areprovided with annular shoulders24, the upper shoulder beingpr'ovided. with oppositely located semi-circular recesses 26 for the receptionof the endportions of adriving pin or key"2 8. V The driving key or pin 28 is extended transversely through the shaft 2oand when positioned in the recesses 26 a a driv ng connection is established between the worm wheel 19 and the shaft20.

1 If desired therecessesinthe upper shoulder 24 may be V-shaped as indicated at 29 in Fig, 6. 'lvhen the endportions of the pin 28 are received ineither the recesses 26 or 29 as thefcase may be a driving connection,

isestablished between the parts of the oscil lating mechanismji butin case thefan strikes fil'lgObSllILlCtlOIltl'lG connection 1s such that a the .pin will leave the recesses and ride over 7 The pin 28 is urged downwardly ino the recesses by a spring 32 mounted on the shaft ,20 and confined betweena shoulder 33 and thrust bearing The thrust bearing is positionedin a boss on ascrew cap 37. It is believed to beohvious that the spring {32will exert a constanttension endwise on an opening in the boss 36 iandlis screw portions of threaded for engagement with a knurled nut- 40. 7 wher b the shaft 20 ma The knurled nut forms a' means I be manually raised or lowered duringt .e essentialist drivin the fan for breaking or establishing a driving connection between the pin 28 and the worm wheel 19.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the knurled nut is located at the rear side of the fan so that an operator may adjust the oscillating mechanism during the operation of the fan and without possibility of accidentally coming in contact withthe blades of the fan. This is an importantfactor as it entirely removes the element of danger from the adjustment of the fan and persons having no mechanical knowledge whatever may adjust the fan without fear.

The lower portion of the shaft 20 is provided with a gear 4:4: in constant mesh with a somewhat larger gear on the upper end of a driven shaft 46. The driven shaft 46 is rotatably extended through the bearing or hub 47 of a cap 48. Of course, the hub member 47 may be hushed with bronze or the like without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of what is claimed.

The lower portion of the shaft 46 carries a disk 50 having an eccentrically located pin 51 to which a link 52 is connected. The link 52 has connection with a relatively fixed portion of the fan so that when the disk 50 is turned the motor and the blades carried thereby will be oscillated.

In the operation of the improved oscillating mechanism the armature shaft, of course, constantly rotates in the same direction and the worm wheel 19 partakes of a similar movement. When the parts are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 5 the rotation of the wheel 19 is transmitted to the shaft 20 so that the disk 50 is turned to bring about the oscillation of the fan.

If the oscillating feature is in operation and the guard on the fan strikes an obstruction the resistance encountered will overcome the tension of the spring 32 and the pin 28 will ride out of the recesses 26 and over the upper shoulder 24. Of course, each time the pin 28 returns to the recesses 26 it will drop into the same and again ride out of these recesses. This will continue until the obstruction which is preventing the fan from oscillating is removed.

The periodical dropping of the pin 28 into the recesses 26 will robably cause a well defined, but not ob ectionably loud noise which will apprise a person near the fan of the fact that the fan is not permitted to oscillate because of the obstruction.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In an oscillating mechanism for fans, a member and a driven member, one of sai members having a surface recess and the other member having a key designed to engage in said recess to establish a driving connection between said members, bearings for said members, means for moving one of said members to disengage said recess and key, a spring interposed between said last mentioned member and its bearing for yieldably holding said key and recess in engage ment, and means including said spring lor holding said member in a. plurality of fixed positions wherein said key and recess will be out of engagement.

2. In an oscillating mechanism for fans, a driving member and a driven member, one of said members iaving a surface recess and the other member having a key designed to engage in said recess to establish a driving connection between said members, bearings for said members, screw means for moving one of said members to disengage said recess and key, a spring interposed between said last mentioned member and its bearing for yieldably holding said key and recess in engagement, and said spring and screw means cooperating to variably position said member to maintain said key and recess out of engagement.

3. An oscillating mechanism for fans comprising a gear case, a constantly driven gear therein, and having a surface recess in one face, an axially movable shaft journaled in said gear case and having a projection designed to engage said recess, said gear being loosely journalcd upon said shaft, a spring interposed between said gear case and a shoulder of said shaft for urging the same in a direction to engage said projection with said recess, and means engaging said shaft and said gear case and being operable to actuate and maintain said shaft in a position to hold said projection and recess out of engagement.

4. An oscillating mechanism for fans comprising a gear case, a constantly driven gear therein, and having a surface recess in one face, an axially movable shaft jonrnaled in said gear case and having a projection designed to engage said recess, said gear being loosely journaled upon said shaft. a spring interposed between said gear case and a shoulder of said shaft for urging the same in a direction to engage said projection with said recess, the end of said shaft projecting through said gear'case and being threaded, and a nut upon the threaded end of said shaft and engaging said gear case whereby to move said shaft in an axial direction against the tension of said spring to disengage said projection and recess.

5. In an oscillating mechanism for fans, a driving member and a. driven member, one of said members having a surface recess and the other member having a key designed to engage in said recess to establish a driving connection between said members, bearings for said members, a screw carried by one of said members and projecting beyond one bearing, yielding means acting upon said 5 said member bodily in an axial direction on rotation of said nut to disengage said recess and key, and cooperating with said yielding means to maintain said screiv-carrying member in a plurality of positions out of 10 engagement with said other memben 6. In an oscillating mechanism for fans, a driving member and adriven member, one of said members having asur face recess and the other member having a key designed to engage in said recess to establish a driving connection between said members, bearings for said members, means for moving oneof saidfniembers to disengage said recess and members to maintain it in operative engagementwith the other member, and means including said yield ng means for maintalning said'last named member in a plurality of fixed positions wherein said key and recess vvlll be out of engagement.

Intestimony whereof Iaflix my signature.

HERMAN G.. REIBEL.

key, yielding means acting on one of said i 

